Sacred Stone:
The Archaeology of Caches


Ronald F. Williamson
Archaeological Services Inc.
Toronto, Ontario

Abstract:  Social action occurs within the context of a cultural tradition 
and it is the sequence of change to that tradition that often provides 
vital clues to the explanation of a behaviour.  The activity of caching 
stone tools has a long tradition in North America as does the practice of 
hoarding polished flint axes and metal implements in northern Europe from 
Neolithic times through to the Iron Age.  This paper examines previous 
explanations of this behaviour in the context of evolving human-land 
relationships in northeast North America from Archaic times through to the 
end of the Middle Woodland period.